A hotel manager’s duty always varies as per the property type. Successful hotel managers are aware of all the fundamentals that go behind the smooth running of a hotel property.
Hotel managers play a central role in efficiently running the hotel and therefore need a range of skills to succeed. They know great customer experience cannot be built in a day. Nor can the superior performance of team members be honed within weeks.
Successful managers know how to prioritize things and avoid undesirable situations with short and long-term goal plans. The list of hospitality management duties can be lengthy indeed. But, prioritizing is the key for hotel managers.
Hotel management includes several core aspects a manager needs to focus upon. Often, having a strong emphasis on the core hospitality manager duties gets the desired result.
Let’s read about the five important duties of a hotel manager to build a firm foundation for a hotel’s success.
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Five hotel operation manager’s responsibilities
1) Guest experience and customer relations
By the year *2020, customer experience will overshadow the pricings for product and services and will act as the key brand differentiator. Gartner predicts the year 2018 will be the one where more than 50 per cent of the firms will invest more to create innovative customer experiences. The hotel industry certainly needs a strong focus on paying close attention to customer experiences. Smart hotel managers know just the right combinations to keep their guests happy and turn them into repeat visitors.
Here’s what a manager needs to do:
- Pay close attention to a guest’s requirements
- Review feedback – positive and negative reviews
- Spend time in addressing issues, lend the personal touch
- Use innovative methods to enhance guest experience
- Be aware of the latest hospitality technology trends and use them to build customer relations
2) Reputation management and branding
Online hotel reviews are gaining prominence over the recent years. The impact of reviews and the social media buzz that follows cannot be ignored. Statistics reveal more than *75 per cent of hotel reviews are being written every single minute. A study shows websites that display genuine reviews get crawled up to 200 per cent more frequently. A whopping 92 per cent of travelers place faith in the reviews of close families and friends. And, this is the reason; a seasoned hotel manager knows why one must prioritize online reputation management and branding over all other tasks.
Here’s a look at the basic responsibilities:
- Track reviews and manage a hotel’s online presence
- Respond to every negative review in an amicable manner
- Create a buzz online with offers, promos and more
- Ensure guest queries receive timely response
- Reinvent branding strategies to create a brand recall
3) Be an excellent role model
Hotel managers have to don multiple hats for their role. Training and development of the hotel staff is yet another important duty of a hotel manager. Every manager is aware of the direct relationship between happy guests and content employees. The emotional health of a hotel’s staff reflects directly on guest satisfaction. A guest who feels their expectations are not being met will be quick to post a negative review online. Guest experiences cannot be enhanced without a professional team in place. Disrespectful or disinterested staff behavior is one of the major reasons to turn guests away. Hotel managers must be aware of the following duties to create happy experiences for all.
- Help employees develop skill sets, identify talent and hone their skills
- Build up a positive work environment to keep high motivational levels
- Communicate. Talk with the team, ask about career goals, and set targets
- Work with the HR on areas of employee retention, employee engagement
- Be the kind of role model they would want to emulate
4) Revenue and budget management
The hotel industry is often vulnerable to the changing economic conditions. Hotel managers must keep a constant watch on economic trends and should be able to strategize to drive high levels of occupancy. It’s not about adjusting room rates and inventory. A hotel manager needs to strategize around this complex subject to find success in the hospitality industry. Here’s a basic list of hotel operations manager’s responsibilities for this category.
- Optimize the revenue based on demand
- Oversee the distribution strategy and manage daily operations
- Create pricing strategies, competition analysis
- Track hotel revenue, manage budgets
- Analyze channels, market segment reviews, reports and more
- Analyze sales figures
5) Focus on latest hotel technologies
Any business is always driven by customer demands. Technology plays a key role in attracting guests and enhancing their stay at the hotel. As hotels strive for an authentic experience, hotel managers must be aware of the latest technologies. Knowing which innovative technology to implement will translate into experiences that drive real value. Successful hotels have gone beyond complimentary breakfasts and wifi. It’s about creating a great Virtual Reality experience or predicting consumer behavior. Around *64 per cent of hotel guests in the USA stated their preference inclined towards hotels who continued to invest in technology to create the perfect guest experience. For e.g. an updated property management system increases room reservations and cuts down time spent on manual updates.
6) Let’s check what a hotel manager needs to do:
- Have complete knowledge about the latest in hotel technologies
- Keep a watchful eye on competitors
- Implement cloud-based technologies to improve hotel management
- Update employees, ensure training for software updates
- Explore new technology to support goals
Smart hotel managers don’t just do what’s needed to be done. They predict customer behavior, anticipate problem-areas, and go the extra mile to manage a hotel. Any professional who aims to be a hotel manager can find success if he/she is a good listener, has a genuine interest in people management, is aware of the competition, and knows how to strategize innovatively. Successful hotel managers do the right thing at the right time – prioritizing and strategizing. This is when they turn out to be effective leaders and attract success for the hotel’s business.
The article was originally published in eHotelier.
